The Mohabbat Khan Mosque (Urdu: مسجد مہابت خان) is a 17th century Mosque in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan.Mahabat Khan Masjid the largest mosque of Peshawar is located in the old city of Peshawar known as “Ander shehr”(Inner city).It is named after the Mughal governor of Peshawar Nawab Mohabbat Khan who served under Emperors Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb and who was the grandson of Nawab Dadan Khan (Who had been governor of Lahore).The mosque is open to tourist every day from sunrise till sunset, except during the prayers timings and specially the afternoon Friday prayers.

History of Mosque

Built in seventeenth Century it is named after Mahabat Khan Mirza Lerharsib who twice governed Peshawar under Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb time period. The exact date of the completion of this masjid is not clear as there are three years marked for its completion that are 1627, 1630 & 1670 A.D .But 1670 is said to be more as masjid completion date than the other two.Built during the rule of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan by Mahabat Khan, the governor of PeshawarLike all other Muslim buildings that were looted, destroyed and plundered during the Sikhs occupation of Punjab, this mosque was also no exception. Its blue tiles and ornamental plates were ruthlessly removed and whisked away. During the appointment of General Avitabile, an Italian mercenary, as the governor of Peshawar, every day before breakfast, he would have a few local men hurled from the top of the minaret of the Mosque to "Teach a lesson to the unruly tribesmen". His cruelty has passed into the folklore of the walled city, for naughty children are often warned of the wrath of "Abu Tabela", a local corruption of 'Avitabile'. The top domes of the minarets were destroyed by the Sikh rulers by fire in June 1898 A.D. and was only saved by the unremitting efforts of the faithful. The masque was later rebuilt by the British.

Architecture & Design

Mohabbat khan mosque interior

The mosque is masterpiece of Mughal architecture, set among the gold and silversmith shops. It has a narrow but massive entrance that leads to a large prayer courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a cool blue tiled ablution pond, with a row of rooms on either side, and a main prayer hall towards the western side. The main hall is lavishly decorated inside with floral work and calligraphy. The top of the mosque is covered by three fluted domes, while two tall minarets stand on each flank of the main hall.